Fried PA660.4 After 1 Day!!

lmasseyg · May 2014

Hello!!
Been using Polk for almost everything, in home, boat, and finally my work truck through out the years. Love em all except I have not been impressed by the Amps. Used a pa330 and the recent FAIL, pa660 which got so hot the solder ran on the PCB!! Noticed this with every amp ive seen by Polk. Can someone please explain and point me in the right direction to match my doors? Thanks!!

Pioneer AVIC-X850BT
Front Doors: Polk DXi6501x2
Rear Doors: Polk MM651x2
Powered By: Polk PA660.4**FRIED AFTER 1 DAY OF USE**
Substituted By: Alpine MRP-F300**SUX**
Subwoofer: Orion XTRPRO 124
Powered By: Hifonics Brutus BRX1400.1D
Cap: Maxxlink Low ESR 5 Farad Hybrid

MacLeod · May 2014

Where did you buy the amp? If it was from eBay or something like that, there's a good chance you got a crappy refurbished amp. Seems like there is a rash of crap Polk gear out there in these unauthorized retailers lately. If you bought it thru an authorized dealer then Polk will honor the warranty. I've ran several Polkaamps for years and never had a problem with any of them.

lmasseyg · May 2014

You've never noticed the heat generated from the polk pa line amps? Pardon the disbelief when i say I've seen and had everyone owned and seen generally run hot. Idk. Amp was purchased 2yrs ago new from authorized store. Put it in for the first time the other day. The power is pretty spot on with the specs. Just cant get past the heat when the crappy alpine substituted is cranked all the way up and still runs cooler

Jstas · May 2014

Was that even English?

And why did you put the lower grade speakers in the front? Forget it, it doesn't matter.

Where did you install this amp that it had so little room to breathe "the solder ran on the PCB!!"?

In all my years of sticking amplifiers in places they would fit, I have never had that happen.

Never.

Hell, you'd see and smell the plastic bits of your interior melting if it got hot enough to melt solder. You'd have blistering paint and stickers. You would smell the distinct smell of the PCB itself burning if your amp was getting hot enough to melt solder. Besides all that, the printed runs for the circuits would fry at those temps and you'd see burned runs like Wyle E. Coyote trying to blow up the Road Runner with dynamite. In other words, it's physically impossible, unless you have a legit short on the main power rails, that your amp would be able to get that hot before it gave up the ghost.

Judging by the rest of your equipment list, though, I'm betting you're over-drawing your charging system and trying to band-aid it with a capacitor. Especially with a 5 Farad capacitor. It's more likely that you drove your amp into clipping and broke it yourself because of than than any malarkey about melting solder.

How stupid do you think we are, anyway?

You should do what Mac said and call Polk Audio instead of making stuff up on the forum. They don't really do service calls via forum posts.

lmasseyg · May 2014

This is set up in a work truck(yes some of us work that's why we can afford the big toys like I have set up), Crew cab Duramax(I'm not even going to get into the toys on it, you wouldn't know what I was talking about anyway), rear seat removed to mount electronics, I got a mean green Alternator hand made in Latrobe Pa that spits out 220 amps and idles at a TRUE 90 amps, not some drummed up numbers, look em up!! 3xbatteries, 6xHELLA mining lights, full auto lift crane, 4,000lb winch, 2x2,000w power inverters, air and electric generator set up on PTO, Everything set up through power distribution, double fused, relays, 2xcooling fans ran on thermal switching, the works!! All hooked up by me, learned through advanced electronics training from DeVry and 12 years, 3 middle east tours, US Navy SWCC(Special Warfare Combat Craft). Yeah....."Looks like he know what he's talking about!" Its called a J.O.B. Quit being an armchair bandit, get outta mommies basement, and off the child ****!! Go get one! You might learn what some of this is!!

Oh, just to let you know also, I have a DMM and an oscilloscope!! Those are tools used to properly set up your audio system in a vehicle, not a substitute for your vibrator!!

Fronts are components put in the front, BECAUSE THATS WHERE I WANTED THEM!! MM's in the rear, BECAUSE THATS WHERE I WANTED THEM!! If you ever had a job and wanted to listen to tunes with the doors open, you might get the set up. Only a moron would ask a stupid question of why what was where, when audio setups are by listening preference and functionality! Run along little boy, grown ups are talking!!

Did I mention the wires, mounting board, amp, started a small fire, and all other damage!? NO, I didn't need to!! Apparently when the solder gets hot, OH guess what!? IT RUNS!! Therefore, IT WAS RUNNING HOT!!

[Deleted User] · May 2014

Hello,
The best thing to do is contact Polk's CS department either via telephone at 1-800-377-7655 or via email at polkcs@polkaudio.com. It would be helpful to have the unit's serial number and place and date of purchase at hand when you contact them.
I'll send them a link to this thread so they are aware of the situation.
They'll help you sort things out.
Regards, Ken

Fried PA660.4 After 1 Day!!

Comments